Tennis Player Pete Sampras once admitted that retiring from his athletics career was “a work in progress.”It took him time to figure out what he wanted the years of retirement to look like. Perhaps you feel the same way, trying to figure out what to do with all the time and space in your life. Retirement is a major life change, and it can be hard to leave the routine of your career and family life behind. For Sampras, he realized he needed the structure in his day even if he wasn’t still training and competing. For you, finding a sense of continuity and purpose might look a little different. Here are a some ideas for how you can decide what you want your retirement to look like:

Like Pete Sampras, you probably have a pretty good idea of what has worked for you in the past. That’s one of the many beautiful things about aging. Perhaps it isn’t structure you crave, but some other aspect of your pre-retirement life. Reach back as far as you need to—even as far back as childhood. If you once loved horses, perhaps you could spend time volunteering at Agape Unbridled Hope. If you once enjoyed mentoring your employees and leading a team, you could consider aiding an after-school program. If, like Sampras, you miss structure, perhaps you should develop a new routine that shapes your day. Or if you are glad to leave your old schedule behind, you can work on shaking up your current routine by trying out new things.

Trying new things is a clinically proven way to increase your sense of happiness and satisfaction. You can take up a new hobby or try a new game like gardening, pokeno, billiards, or trivia. You can check out new eateries in Indianapolis, like Metro Diner Greenwood. Explore new places like Punch Bowl Social, which features bowling and bocce, if you like a little exercise along with your meal. Activity is also a great way to work something new into your day, whether it’s Tai chi, Laughter Yoga, or a stroll somewhere you haven’t visited before, like the Monon Trail or Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

There’s so much to do in beautiful Indianapolis, especially if you want to combine recreation with staying active. Take a walk through the National Art Museum of Sport and learn something new about how athletics are treated in art. Or explore the many acres of the Conner Prairie Interactive History Park. Staying active is beneficial for maintaining overall health and for general well-being. The World Health Organization recommends older adults exercise not only for their physical health, but cognitive well-being, too. One study by the NCBI showed a 37% reduced risk for cognitive decline in seniors who met minimum recommended exercise thresholds. The better you feel, the more time and energy you can dedicate to making retirement everything you dreamed it would be.

Remembering the past can also be helpful for defining your future. The act of remembrance itself can reduce stress and anxiety, according to a number of studies. Recounting either out loud or in a diary, scrapbook, or audio recording can not only reconnect you with your own sense of history and continuity, but be a wonderful way to share your story with friends and loved ones. One can also reminiscence to help you work through roadblocks, such as painful or challenging moments in the past that might be holding you back from what would let you live the way you want to live now. And by revisiting the past, you can strengthen your sense of self and identify how you want to spend your time, now that you have it in abundance.

Community is also essential to finding a sense of purpose. To be surrounded by other caring friends and neighbors helps reduce your stress. It’s always easier to meet your goals when you have support, and especially that of other people making the same life transition you are. Not only that, community can offer the same health benefits as exercise. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that recreation with loved ones can help seniors avoid the cognitive decline that comes with isolation. So, why not collaborate with those close to you? Go for a walk together, swap stories, or make a weekly date to volunteer together. With all of Indianapolis to explore, it can help to have a friend to take on the city. If you’d like to learn more about how Morningside of College Park can help you meet your goals, call (844) 511-3456 now.

“The air was full of sun and birds, The fresh air sparkled clearly. Remembrance wakened in my heart And I knew I loved her dearly.

The fallows and the leafless trees And all my spirit tingled. My earliest thought of love, and Spring's First puff of perfume mingled.

In my still heart the thoughts awoke, Came lone by lone together - Say, birds and Sun and Spring, is Love A mere affair of weather?”

-Robert Louis Stevenson

Spring is a wonderful time at Morningside of College Park…the trees become green again, flowers start to bloom, and the warmer weather is a welcome change after a chilly winter. With the changing seasons also comes opportunity to explore nature and take advantage of outdoor activities.

There are many benefits to Seniors who spend some time soaking up the sun’s rays, as long as you are mindful of physical limitations and the risks associated with overexposure to the sun. Here are a few benefits:

Vitamin D-The body needs sunlight in order to produce Vitamin D, which is particularly beneficial to seniors. This is because it is a building block for healthy and strong bones. Not only that, but studies are now showing a direct correlation to Alzheimer’s, cancer, and osteoporosis among those who don’t get enough Vitamin D.

Decreased Stress-A lot of people are familiar with Winter Depression, and the anxiety that can come along with it. While scientists haven’t firmly concluded what causes this seasonal mood change, they have confirmed that most people who suffer from it feel better after exposure to bright light. Spending time in the sun each day can help lower anxiety and increase happiness. According to Alfred Lewy, MD, a seasonal affective disorder researcher at the Oregon Health & Science University, the best time to take advantage of the sun is first thing in the morning because it helps to reset your circadian clock.

The best way to take advantage of the spring weather and sunshine is by getting out in it! There are so many things to do outside, but here are a few ideas to get you started:

Take a morning walk daily

Spend some time planting in the garden

Take up bird watching

Take the grandkids to explore Monument Circle or the Cultural Districts

Browse through a Farmers Market, like Indianapolis City Market

Do some spring cleaning to spruce up your space

However you plan on spending your time in the sun, be cautious and aware of how the sun affects you. To avoid skin damage, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke, prepare in advance: wear light clothing and a hat, always apply sunscreen, stay hydrated, and avoid being in direct sunlight during peak hours (10 am-4 pm).

Exerting yourself too much in the sun can lead to cramped muscles, heat rash, swelling of extremities, exhaustion, and heat stroke. While you can protect yourself from the sun’s rays, it is more difficult to stay protected from the heat itself. Morningside of College Park offers a cool respite from the heat. “The lobby is now a great place to mingle with friends and neighbors and get acquainted,” says Jo Cowan, Executive Director.

So whether you are outside soaking up the sun, or inside cooling off for a bit, enjoy the new growth that spring brings to Morningside!

Many seniors feel apprehensive about getting online, worrying that they won’t have the tech skills to successfully take advantage of computer resources. According to FastCompany, a neuroscientist at UCLA found that when he observed “12 tech-savvy and 12 tech-ignorant people use search engines while inside an MRI machine”the result was“more neural activity in the noggins of tech-savvy users.”Not only does the Internet open you up to a host of new possibilities, the process of learning something new can have a positive effect on your brain—great news for those who are interested in staying in tip top mental shape.

There are host of other benefits to making use of the Internet. It’s easier than ever to connect with others around the world in just a few clicks or a few keystrokes, from family a few states away to new pen pals as far away as Japan or Norway. Even ten or fifteen years ago, the majority of adults weren’t online. Now 87% of American adults regularly use the Internet, logging on to converse over email and social networking sites, look up information using search engines like Google and Yahoo, keep up with the news and their favorite TV programs, or connect with other people who have common interests, like NASCAR, baseball, sewing, chess, and more.

Of course, the flip side to how much the internet brings us together is that it can also connect you to bad people who might want to take advantage of you. While it’s easier than ever to reach out to friends and family, it’s just as easy for criminals to reach out to you in hopes of getting money, your personal information, or even steal your identity. However, there are some simple steps you can take to keep cyber criminals at bay.

Email With Care

First and foremost, you should treat your email with the same care you would your mail or postoffice box. Just as you get unwanted junk letters in real life, you may get spam messages in your email box from strangers. Some scams that online criminals run online are similar to those run through the mail or on the phone—telling you that you’ve won a lottery prize, for example, or posing as a fake charity. Just as you’d be cautious under other circumstances about sending money to strangers or unverified causes or potentially illegitimate businesses, you should be even more so online.

Pick an email program with a strong spam filter like Microsoft Outlook or Google Mail—this will protect you from many inappropriate messages and reduce the number you need to deal with yourself. When you set up your email account, create a strong password that will be hard for anyone else to guess or crack. For example, “123456”is a common password that would be easy for a hacker to figure out because so many people use it. The same for things like your children or grandchildren’s names, “password”or “PW”or even “letmein.”You should use a mixture of symbols, numbers, and both upper and lower case numbers to ensure you have a strong password.

Trust Your Inner Skeptic

Criminals often create stories that seem so wild you couldn’t possibly make them up. People have fallen for all sorts of tall tales, from Nigerian princes trying to find their way home to messages from the supposed Sheriff’s office telling them a missing person’s report has been filed on the recipient’s behalf. Other common tricks include seemingly innocent, minor requests, like trying to find a good time to call you, or simply asking if you’re ok. If you don’t know who sent the email, simply give them a call or check in personally to find out if they originated the conversation. It takes some of the convenience out of staying in touch, but it’s totally worth it to avoid giving scam artists even the slightest details to go on. Never download a file attached to an email if you don’t know who it’s from. The file could be a computer virus that will make your device run slower or will find personal information like credit card or insurance account numbers and send it to the scammer.

A Little Common Sense Goes a Long Way

You never know who’s looking when you post online, and what you say can stick around a lot longer than you think. Friends of friends might see what you post on social media, private details linger on message boards, and you can’t take back what you write. Once it’s out there, it’s out there. So be especially guarded about sharing anything you wouldn’t write down and hand to stranger, or the kind of information you run through a shredder at the end of the month.

Enjoy a Wider World

Despite digital dangers, the Internet has a wealth of opportunities to stay connected and involved in your community and interests no matter your age. Don’t feel intimidated by the possibility of living an online life, instead embrace a new skill, and take proper precautions so you can surf the web with confidence. As with any new skill, it may take time to feel as comfortable and confident as you do in real life, but soon you’ll have street smarts for the World Wide Web!

There’s no better time than summer to enjoy quality time with your grandsons, daughters, nieces, and nephews. School’s out, mom and dad are still working, and they’re itching for adventure. Fortunately Indianapolis has many family-friendly attractions that are fun for old and young alike. Here are four ideas for fun places to make special memories, just to get you started:

The obvious starting point is the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. With hands-on exhibits that are plenty educational (like the one featuring a replica of the Great Wall of China), including a Dinosaur Dig, a space where kids can experience a TV or film set, a full-size indoor carousel, and a Playspace specially designed for the littlest little ones, there’s always something new to see and do. The Stories From Our Community exhibit explores the power of narrative in different cultures and could be a wonderful leaping off point to share your own stories and reminiscences with your small loved ones.

The Indianapolis Zoo is another attraction that always has something new. It’s organized around different ecosystems, from Oceans to Deserts to Forests to Plains, making it easy to navigate and show little ones what different ecosystems have in common around the world. See meerkats, boa constrictors, iguanas, brown bears, amur tigers, otters, bald eagles, koalas, red pandas, and many more. There are also special invests including concert series, art shows, and even tortoise racing! Kids of all ages will enjoy trips to the zoo and who knows, you may learn something new, too!

Mug n Bun has been part of Indianapolis for 50 years, and it’s got something for everyone. Grandparents and grandkids alike will enjoy the great food— including burgers, milkshakes, homemade root beer, hand-dipped onion rings, and steaks. Kids will especially love the novelty of classic drive-in service and the outside picnic area. The unique atmosphere is a conversation-starter, too, giving you an opportunity to tell the youngsters about decades past, how you spent time when you were young, and what it was like when restaurants like Mug n Bun weren’t novelties but the hippies hangouts in town.

Nothing says summer like a ballgame at Victory Field with the Indianapolis Indians! The team has been in continuous operation since 1902 and is an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, so you never know when a Pirates player might drop in to spice up the game. The stadium itself is one of the best minor league fields in the nation, and tickets are inexpensive, so you’ll have plenty left over for a hot dog and crackerjack, Friday night games feature fireworks for a little extra excitement. The young ones will love participating in this great American tradition and you can tell them all about some of the great games you’ve seen before.

With so much to see and do in Indianapolis this is just the beginning of all the summer vacation fun. Whatever you choose to do with the special young people in your life, know that you’re making memories that will last a lifetime and you have a wonderful chance to share anecdotes from your life and teach them something new!

Wondering what to do with yourself now that you’ve got all the time in the world? Your golden years are a golden opportunity for new adventures and making your oldest pastimes new again. From travel to learning to letting your creative side shine, we have five recommendations that could make your days even more fun and exciting:

Many people have a bucket list of all the places they want to see, but as much fun as exploring new places can be, it can also be fun and exciting to revisit places from your past. It might be fun to retrace the steps of your honeymoon, visit your college town, or have a friend reunion at the lake house you stayed in long ago. It could be an great way to jog your memories and relive some of your happiest times.

Serving as a docent at a local museum or volunteering at a library not only gives back to the community, but lets you lean something new and meet plenty of friendly faces. Start with your interests, whether it’s history, art, or a love for children and seek out local opportunities from there. The Indianapolis Museum of Art, Eiitelijorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indiana State Museum, The Children’s Museum, Conner Prairie Interactive History Park, Indiana Medical History Museum, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum are all great places to start.

If you haven’t been in a play since middle school, now might be the time to revisit the dramatic arts. From monologues to full scale plays and musicals, you’ll have a lot of fun, get up and moving around, and test your memory as you learn your lines. Check out the Footlite Musicals group at the Herdback Theater, the Buck Creek Players, Theater on the Square, and Indianapolis Civic Theater for opportunities to get involved.

As the old line goes, “You don't stop playing when you get old, you get old when you stop playing.”Get involved with a fun sport in your area, from bowling and golf to cycling, tennis, or volley boll. You can look to what’s organized at your retirement community, through a local gym, or with a website like www.meetup.com that makes it easy for people with common interests to get together for an activity or event.

Indy seniors are looking forward to another holiday season. It’s a time when we reflect on family ties and the sentimental attachments we have to gifts from long ago. When we break out the camera and record the moment because memories are being made. We marvel at how much the grandchildren have grown since the last time we saw them.

People get more enjoyment out of Christmas by focusing on relationships rather than things. Particularly when visiting with grandchildren, interactions strengthen our bonds. Seniors should take this time to share family stories about unique traditions so they can be fondly remembered and passed along to the next generation.

Experiences make great holiday gifts. There are so many attractions in Indianapolis to entertain, educate and delight a loved one. Some of these include visiting the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or taking someone to a Colts game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Sometimes the experience gifted is something a grandchild cannot afford to do on their own, like a class trip.

Something as modest baking homemade cookies for (or with) a grandchild can be warmly received. Perhaps share a book that has brought you years of enjoyment so you can talk about it later.

The holiday season is also a good time to pass along values to young ones, perhaps encouraging them to visit homebound seniors who may feel lonely at Christmastime because their own families live too far away or do not visit as often as they’d like. Not everyone is fortunate enough to be a part of a community of friends like ours at Regency.

Experts say you should talk with parents before buying their children gifts that will burden them. This brings to mind a drum kit that will keep them up at night or a puppy they’ll end up having the feed and clean up after. That goes for buying a huge number of gifts or expensive things as well. You also want to treat everyone the same rather than favoring one grandchild more than another.

When it comes to older grandchildren, unless you are hip to the latest style trends, clothing may be less well received than a Gift Card they can use at the stores they prefer. If a senior is unable to afford a gift in the present, they can often promise to pass along a piece of furniture in the future. Perhaps relocating to a retirement community means not having room for antiques or we simply want to let someone know that a piece they are fond of will someday be theirs. While it may lack the immediate impact of a pricey gadget, such a gift can grow more valuable with the passing of time and become a keepsake.

It’s also important to remember that it’s the thought that matters. Most people do not react well when a loved one seems unappreciative of a gift, so we need to accept whatever we are given with gratitude even when it is less than spectacular.

By putting some thought into a loved one’s interests, hobbies and what they want/need, it can be a great holiday season.

The conversation about moving to a senior living community like Morningside of College Park should start before the onset of a health crisis. It can be a difficult talk to have, especially if started from scratch during a time of crisis.

A relatively healthy senior’s reluctance may result from fears about losing independence or having to give up their possessions if they downsize and re-locate. Grown children who want their parents to find a positive place to live and receive the care and attention they need should talk honestly but delicately about the topic, determining whether the worries are about a perceived lack of privacy, fears about the costs of care or worries about making new friends.

Preconceived notions of what to expect may be wrong as the parent learns how Morningside of College Park presents a cozy, enriching environment where residents their age can live with some level of independence, meet new friends, and lead fulfilling lives. Sometimes, just talking through these misconceptions isn't as powerful as seeing an elegant apartment with their own eyes. Safe and secure, Morningside offers the best of both worlds for independent seniors who are active but prefer to have someone cook and clean for them.

Highlight the positives and don’t tell a parent what to do. It needs to be a choice.

Talk to them about how worried you are, and how you’ll feel better knowing they’re comfortable and safe. Understand that moving to assisted living is a scary prospect for them. Grown children or other family caregivers simply can’t be at the parent’s side all the time to mitigate risks such as falls, accidents or lapses in memory.

Life these days is pretty hectic for most people, making it more challenging for us to spend time with loved ones, but technology is helping grandparents get in front of family they don’t see nearly as much as they’d like to in person.

According to a CNN.com article, video chat in particular is revolutionizing how seniors interact with their precious family.

“For grandparents who are online -- and a recent Pew study suggests 53% of American adults over 65 are, with one in three of those seniors using social networks -- living apart from grandkids doesn't mean never seeing them,” author Shannon Cook writes.

In the article, Cook interviews several seniors who use the videoconferencing software Skype and Google+ Hangouts to chat with grandchildren over the Internet.

“Video chats have become routine when my parents are at their home in Maryland,” Cook writes. “Dad will pick up colorful objects -- a Buzz Lightyear figurine, a sombrero, a bird feeder -- and move them toward his laptop's tiny camera lens, making (his granddaughter Kylie) squeal or say, ‘What's that funny thing, Granddad?’ And mom will hold up an outfit she bought for her granddaughter to see if it meets our approval (it usually does)… Unable to attend Kylie's first birthday party, they watched us from laptops we set up on top of bookshelves. They watched Kylie slap her teeny hand into her cake's white frosting as everyone sang happy birthday. Every now and then, we'd look up and wave or raise a glass of champagne.”

Even very small children are usually proficient at using new technology such as iPhones or tablet computers. The CNN article notes how the kids are typically not that impressed with tech-savvy retirees, simply expecting everyone to know how to use the gadgets they’ve always had available to them.

Aside from video conferencing, seniors can also reach out via email messages, text messages (which are especially popular with teens), social media websites, and sharing photos in the “cloud”. There’s no “too old” for being active on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or blogging on one’s own website. Indeed, many people consider these to be great ways of staying connected to friends and family, as well as fun ways to pass the time.

For Indianapolis seniors who are willing to try new things, technology can be a great way to tap into a much larger world and put the faces of loved ones at their virtual fingertips.

They are referred to as “senior moments”, but everyone is forgetful some of the time.

In contrast, Alzheimer’s and dementia cause significant impairment of memory, ability to communicate, ability to focus and pay attention, reason and judgment, and visual perception. People suffering from dementia have problems with their short-term memory, keeping track of their wallet, remembering doctor’s appointments, or taking care of themselves.

Other symptoms include withdrawing from social activities, confusion with time or place, difficulty completing familiar tasks, and changes in mood and personality.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans are living with the Alzheimer’s disease, two-thirds of them female. About 11% of Indiana seniors have Alzheimer’s disease.

By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer's may nearly triple, from 5 million to as many as 16 million, barring the development of medical breakthroughs to prevent, slow or stop the disease.

The diagnosis of dementia is scary and tragic, but there is hope and you aren’t alone.

At Morningside of College Park Senior Living Community, we operate a special unit for those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. We call it the Reflections Centre.

The specially trained, compassionate caregivers at Reflections listen to family members and learn as much as possible about their loved one so we can create a program of care and support for them. Research shows that people with memory impairments function better in an environment of simplicity, with less confusion and a structured routine.

The Reflections Centre offers a safe, secure environment, complete with an enclosed outdoor courtyard. Visitors may only enter through our front atrium entrance. All the side doors are locked and secure. The main entrance is open until 10 p.m. each day. Our building is staffed 24-hours a day. This is important because people with Alzheimer’s disease have been known to wander off in a confused state and end up in places they did not plan to go.

Family members are invited to participate in a thorough evaluation of a resident’s physical needs when we talk with the primary care physician or specialist to learn about any recent or long-standing medical conditions. Some treatable conditions such as depression can occasionally be mistaken for dementia, so a thorough evaluation and the proper care plan are vital.

Being a caregiver can take many forms. For some it means tending to a loved one at home themselves, for others it means hiring an in-home aid, and for still others a retirement home or assisted living community. There are innumerable ways to approach caregiving, varying with income, medical conditions, physical and mental ability, time, and the number of family members or professionals involved. Anyone can be a caregiver, from wealthy celebrities to everyday Joes working multiple jobs. What unites all caregivers across these differences is the compassion, empathy, and effort that comes with taking care of a loved one. There are several ways that you can make your unique approach to caregiving more effective, no matter the specifics:

Emphasize communication. Of course you want to be clear and transparent with your loved one about meeting their needs and how they feel day to day. But you also want to fully understand physicians and outpatient providers, in-home aids, assisted living professionals, insurance agents, lawyers, and anyone else involved in managing your loved one’s affairs. Ask any questions you might have, no matter how ridiculous or basic they may seem. The more you know the more you can advocate for your loved one and act quickly when needed.

Turn a negative into a positive when you feel like caregiving is a second (or third, or fourth!) job. You might be wearing a lot of hats already as a mother or father, wife or husband, employee or volunteer. But if you approach caregiving consciously aware of the skills you already use every day at work or at home, you’ll realize you’re more on top of things than you thought. Apply the delegation and scheduling skills you use at work to finding the right therapists and aids, or to develop regular medication management. Apply your meal planning skills to addressing unique dietary needs, such as avoiding Vitamin K for a husband or parent who takes Coumadin. You’ll find you’re better prepared than you thought!

Always try to be encouraging. It can be easy to get frustrated as a caregiver, both with yourself, the situation, and the person you love. Focus on the positive, from your loved one’s abilities and daily triumphs to your own successes as a caregiver. Encouragement can also come in the form of urging your loved one to exercise more or adhere to new nutritional guidelines like low salt intake. You might even want to encourage yourself by offering yourself treats after big hurdles or simply scheduling in downtime for your own hobbies and peace of mind. By focusing on the good, pleasant, and fun things about caregiving, you won’t sweat the tough and negative as much.

No matter what caregiving looks like in your family, these tips will help you excel, and better balance your new role with the rest of your life. While change (even positive change) can be stressful, the right mindset and preparation can work magic both emotionally and practically.